U.S. warns Iran to back down

[maddezmom]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group now steaming toward the Middle East is Washington's way of warning Iran to back down in its attempts to dominate the region, a top U.S. diplomat said here Tuesday.

Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, ruled out direct negotiations with Iran and said a rapprochement between Washington and Tehran was "not possible" until Iran halts uranium enrichment.

"The Middle East isn't a region to be dominated by Iran. The Gulf isn't a body of water to be controlled by Iran. That's why we've seen the United States station two carrier battle groups in the region," Burns said in an address to the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center, an influential think-tank.

"Iran is going to have to understand that the United States will protect its interests if Iran seeks to confront us," Burns continued.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_us_2

[Jim Warren]

1. ruled out direct negotiations

ruled out direct negotiations?????????

That about says it then, no? So, I guess ship to shore missiles are what you call in-direct negotiations?

[maddezmom]

3. I'm sure we're going to hear more about this in tonight SOTU

beating the war drums after the war has already started....once again? :shrug:

[woodsprite]

2. According to Georgie's past MO, the bombing of Iran will probably start tonight. nt

[Eugene]

4. This would be called gunboat diplomacy, but there is very little diplomacy.

The Bushies are going in guns drawn while ruling out any alternatives to a confrontation.
The only diplomacy they are interested in is that Iran gives in.

Meanwhile, their preparation for a 1980's style battle for Persian Gulf waterways is
alarming. The Bushies are committing our people to war with Iran. The only thing
missing now is some kind of provocation.

[Jim Warren]

5. You're right

probably including the scenario even if Iran gives in.

[mallard]

6. This should work wonders...

...for slagging oil prices - teach those Iranis not to dominate the region by fine example!

[maddezmom]

7. and we went into Iraq without provocation

time will tell, but I'll admit for the first time I think * might actually bomb them.

[LynnTheDem]

8. Warning another nation, IN THE AREA, to "BACK DOWN from trying to DOMINATE

the region...

:wow:

Any wonder why the world sees America as the #1 hypocrite on the planet??!

[Tempest]

9. It is amusing, isn't it?

Claiming Iran wants to dominate the area while having troops stationed in Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and Egypt.

Claiming Iran is trying to control the gulf while having three warships in the gulf or enroute.

Claiming Iran is trying to confront the U.S. while making agressive public statements against Iran and admitting the warships in the Gulf is a pre-emptive action.

[bdamomma]

10. boy this corrupted and evil regime of ours is really poking

a hot iron at Iran, the US better watch out, Iran is not Iraq!!!

[redqueen]

11. This is absolutely insane.

It seems like, once again, the plans have alredy been made, and the American public's consent is immaterial.

[jpak]

12. Iran is seeking to confront us??? WTF

The US is the instigator here...

[confludemocrat]

13. What a laugh, Iran has never attacked anyone, but they should "back down"!

Wasting all that money to send this behemouth of a death and destruction machine for NOTHING except pure politics.

"Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for PURE RAW PARTISAN POLITICS"

[teryang]

14. "You handed (Iraq)...to Iran. Now you are crying..."

Brilliant response from one of the Arab diplomats:

Some among the audience of Dubai-based diplomats and analysts complained that American wars in the Middle East were already threatening the region's stability and asked Burns to sort out Iraq and the Israel-Palestinian conflict before turning attention to Iran.

"What we are not interested in is another war in the region," Mohammed al-Naqbi, who heads the Gulf Negotiations Center, told Burns. "Iraq is your problem, not the problem of the Arabs. You destroyed a country that had institutions. You handed that country to Iran. Now you are crying to Europe and the Arabs to help you out of this mess."

[Andrushka]

15. Gotta be a typo

Iran are the ones who have to "back down"?

:crazy:

(edit: tagging)

[oblivious]

16. I don't remember seeing even the slightest evidence that "Iran is trying to dominate the region"

[Casablanca]

17. "The Middle East isn't a region to be dominated by Iran."

Nope, that's OUR job!

[Megahurtz]

18. 10..9..8..7......

...........:nuke:

:(

[ShortnFiery]

20. Time to face our final destiny?

Or at least the Insane Clown Posse in the White House sure hopes so. They can hunker down in their bunkers and come out after we have all died from Radiation Poison.

Thanks Dear Leader. You evil maniacal MORAN! :nuke:



If we meet Iran on the battlefield, both your and my kids will be "sucked into the intake" of the imminent DRAFT.

[Raydawg1234]

19. Yeah, only the U.S. can dominate the Middle east,

only the U.S. can control the Persian Gulf.

[HuffleClaw]

21. erm, what a pack of lies

it isn't IRAN that 'seeks to confront' anyone.